Things You Probably Didn't Know You Can Claim Tax On

There's something about tax time that exhilarates me. Who needs a rollercoaster when you can say "hah! I'll claim this newspaper subscription on tax!". What a thrill! 🔥🔥🔥

Since I love to capitalise on what I can claim on tax, here's how you can too with a cheeky list of things you may not have known you can claim on tax! 🤑

Your phone case

Now, you've probably heard that you may be able to claim your phone on tax if you use it for work-related emails, texts, and phone calls. But don’t forget to add the cost of that breakproof phone case you spent the price of Jesus' tears on because you're a klutz. If it's being used on your phone, which is being used for work, it is classed as a work expense as well.

Sun protection

Sunscreen, hats and sunnies could be tax-deductible if your job requires you to work outdoors. This applies to jobs like gardeners, roadworkers, builders, couriers, and even journalists who work out in the community 🌞

But be smart about this. If you use those Gucci sunnies for both work and pleasure, only claim the work-related portion so no alarm bells ring at the tax office.

Clothes 

If you have a work uniform or occupation-specific clothes, they may be claimable. This doesn’t include regular clothes you might purchase on your own accord and wear to work though. For example, I worked at a cinema and needed black pants that could cop hours and hours of running around and cleaning up theatres (because y'all are messy). I claimed a comfy pair of slacks on tax. Yeehaw.

Laundry

Your laundry and dry-cleaning costs are also deductible for these items. You can claim 50c per a load of mixed work and non-work clothes or $1 per a load of work clothes alone. So work out roughly how many times you're washing your clothes to save those dollarydoos.

Donations

You can claim a deduction for donations that are made to organisations that have a ‘deductible gift recipient’ status. Any amounts over $2 can be claimed. (But you can’t claim any amounts for gifts or donations that provide you with a personal benefit, such as raffle tickets or fundraising dinners.)

Bags

I didn't even know about this one! Far out, I need to reap this!

So, many of us use a bag when we go to work, duh. We put our car keys in a bag (to get us to work), our purses/wallets, glasses, phones/tablets, USB’s and other objects that we may need during work hours. Whether it be a classic handbag, a laptop bag a backpack or a briefcase, it can be claimed. So keep your proof of purchase handy!!

Working from home essentials

So many of us have been working from home recently which naturally incurs expenses. The ATO has introduced a shortcut method so you can claim tax for working from home, with minimal record-keeping requirements (thank god). The main expenses you can claim for are electricity and internet, but defs look into this!

Okay, this obvs has to be relevant to your field of work. Unfortunately, we can't all veg on the couch watching Netflix and knowing that the government is picking up the bill (what a dream) - although, if you worked in media, you probably could!

For example, being a writer here (hi), I can claim subscriptions to websites like Medium and New York Times as it's in the writing realm and I need it for my job. Yeehaw!

Education

Self-education that is directly related to your job could be tax-deductible. 

No matter your industry, there are probably countless courses, seminars, webinars, and other opportunities for learning new skills or updating yourself on industry standards. So if the course helps you advance in your skills and career, you can probably claim it. So go get educated aye!

Anyways, get keen for claiming your tax. It's a fun time + a succulent Chinese meal might be on the horizon!